URL: www.bigoven.com/article/recipe/
ERROR: That keyword is in use by another article. Choose another.

Order (1000=topmost, 0=bottom)

If you don't want BigOven to automatically include a "BigOven Editorial Team" attribution below the published article, simply include the text "About the author" at the end of the article.

Salt

One of the world's most essential seasonings and preservatives, salt is a chemical compound technically referred to as sodium chloride. Salt is, in fact, the only rock that we humans eat.

It can be mined from the ground or harvested from the sea, but most of today's salt comes from large deposits left behind by dried salt lakes.

In addition to enhancing the flavor of foods, salt is used to cure meats, can or pickle vegetables, soften water, clean up household messes and much more.

Varieties and Buying Tips

Salt is available in a wide variety of types that differ in their texture or grain, and purpose.

Table Salt
Mainly used in cooking and as a table condiment, this fine-grained, refined salt has additives to make it free-flowing. Iodized salt is a table salt with added iodine.

Kosher Salt
This coarse-grained salt is additive-free and often preferred by gourmet cooks for its texture and flavor. It's often used in preparing meats and liquid-based foods such as soups, sauces and stocks.

Sea Salt
Derived from evaporated sea water, this salt has a fresh, distinct flavor. A favorite of culinary experts, it's available in fine or coarse grinds. Celtic salt is a natural, solar-evaporated sea salt that's hand-harvested from marshes in Brittany, France using a 2,000-year-old Celtic tradition. It has a mellow, sweet-salty flavor.

Rock Salt
Not highly refined, this grayish salt retains more minerals and comes in chunky crystals. It's used as a bed for oysters and clams and to make ice cream.

Pickling Salt
This fine-grained, additive-free salt is used to make brines for pickles and sauerkraut.

Sour Salt
Also called citric salt, it's extract from acidic fruits like lemons and limes. It adds tartness to traditional dishes like borscht.